MISSION:
As an "art spirit" Robert seeks to expand and share his knowledge and experience with others; this outreach includes teaching classes, presenting instructional TV & video programs, workshops, lectures and demonstrations, entitled The Power of Positive Painting©. As host of the acclaimed TV program, "Art Beat," which aired for two seasons on PBS in Detroit, his goal was to make the visual arts more accessible to the people, which is a big part of his mission. Robert is also an accomplished actor, director and musician, finding relationships between a variety of artistic disciplines. As a portraitist and a humanist, he seeks a meaningful exchange with his sitters, with the goal of creating portraits that express something of the soul of the subject.

PORTRAIT ARTIST - 1979-Present
As a portrait artist Robert Maniscalco has satisfied over 750 clients since he began this noble work in 1979. His works hang in private and public collections throughout North America. He creates about 12 - 15 portraits every year. He has lasted this long because of his dedication to the art of portraiture and his love of people; two essential qualities of a successful portrait artist. He directs his own marketing and sales force and prefers the personal approach; there are few things more personal than a portrait. Robert has created the portraits of many prominent individuals and their families. Among them, Justices Blair Moody, Eugene Black and Edward Sharpe of the Michigan Supreme Court and Judges Horace Gilmore, Cornelia Kennedy and Robert Demascio of the Sixth District Court of Appeals of the United States. In addition, he has painted Chris Noth, star of TV's Sex and the City; William McNary, Chairman of Blue Cross/Blue Shield of Michigan; John Weinman, Ambassador to Finland, James Tottis, Curator of American Art at the Detroit Institute of Arts; Richard Fontaine, President of Barnes and Noble; and E. Ray Scott, Executive Director Emeritus of the Michigan Council of the Arts to name only a few of the over 750 portraits he has had the honor to create over the last 27 years.

ARTISTIC DIRECTOR OF THE MANISCALCO GALLERY - Grosse Pointe, M. 1997-2005
The Maniscalco Gallery was founded in 1997 by Robert Maniscalco as an exhibition space and contemporary art center representing talented local and international artists, both established and emerging. We presented six major exhibitions each year. The MG had become a major gallery venue in Detroit’s burgeoning art scene when it closed in 2005. The Maniscalco Gallery was an opportunity to reach out into the community and present the art of fine portraiture in the context of a contemporary art gallery. The Maniscalco Gallery hosted acclaimed exhibitions and special events like Salons, presenting poetry, song, dance, story telling, monologues, discussion and performance art in the context with the visual arts. Other special art events were periodically presented at the MG, such as Wine Tastings, Vernissages and painting parties. The Maniscalco Gallery also presented Community Outreach including Fresh Art Festivals as well as special touring exhibits in non-traditional venues such as night clubs, restaurants parks and private clubs. The Detroit Tasetefest (New Center Area), the Detroit Yacht Club, the Grosse Pointe Hunt Club and the Roostertail are examples of past outreach venues in which the Maniscalco presented programs. The Maniscalco Gallery also offered art instruction, career coaching, custom framing, art consulting services and restoration.

SELECTED SOLO EXHIBITIONS:

SELECTED GROUP SHOWS AND AWARDS:

1997	New Orleans Art Association XVIII National Juried Exhibition, LA James Leblanc Merit Award
1996	Artist Guild Unlimited 33rd Annual, Morgan City, LA - Best of Show & Honorable Mention
1995	Fourth Annual Westbank Art Guild National Competition, LA - Best of Show
1994	Salon International, Jackson, MS
1992	Sarasota Art Fair, FL - Best of Show
1987	Scarab Club Gold Medal Show, Detroit - Honorable Mention
1986	Palette and Brush, Warren, MI - Honorable Mention
1984	Michigan Advertising Arts Exhibition, Detroit, MI - Honorable Mention

SELECTED WORKSHOPS, DEMONSTRATIONS, TALKS PRESENTED:

2005	Birmingham Bloomfield Art Center - Birmingham, MI - Advanced Portrait workshop
2005	Adult Learning Insititute - Farmington, MI - multidisciplinary presentation
2005	Self-Employment for the Arts Conference (SEA) - Chicago, IL - Being a Professional Artist Today
2004	Associated Creative Artists - Dallas, TX - demonstration
2003	Atlanta Portrait Society, Atlanta, GA - Portrait painting demonstration
2001	Edsel & Elenore Ford House, GP, MI - Plein Air Workhsop
2000	Renaissance Shop, Raleigh, NC "Power of Positive Painting" workshop
1999	Warren Tri-County Arts, Warren, MI Judge Prestige Art Show
1998-00	Grosse Pointe War Memorial, MI "Power of Positive Painting" workshop
1995	Plymouth Community Arts Council, MI - "Artragious Fest" Featured artist/workshop
1995	St. Bernard Art Guild, LA - two day "Power of Positive Painting" workshop
1995, 96	Metairie Art Guild, LA -"Power of Positive Painting" lecture/demonstration
1994 -	New Orleans Art Association, LA -"Power of Positive Painting" lecture/demonstration
1987, 96, 97	Grosse Pointe War Memorial, MI - portrait lecture/demonstration
1986 & 01	Scarab Club of Detroit, MI - two day portrait workshop
1986	Downriver Council for the Arts, Dearborn, MI - guest speaker "Being an Artist Today"
1985	Lakeside Palette Club, St Clair Shores, MI - portrait lecture/demonstration
1984	Lakeshore High School, St Clair Shores, MI "Career Night" speaker
1983	Romeo Art Guild - portrait lecture/demonstration

SELECTED ADJUDICATION, CONSULTATION AND CLINICS PRESENTED:

2003	Grosse Pointe Hunt Club - Facilitated Fundraising Art Auction
2001-03	Detroit Yacht Club Detroit, MI - Facilitiated "Fresh Art Fest." and art auction
2002	Comerica Tastefest - New Center/Detroit, MI - Facilitated Main Art Gallery Exhibition
2002	St. Ignace Chamber of Commerce/MACAA - Facilitated Sessions and Developed an Action Plan for their Arts Mentoring Project
2002	ArtServe Michigan - Selection committee for 2002 Governor's Awards
2000	Art in the Park - XX - Halmich Park, Warren, MI
2000	Art at the Lake - Venetian Festival, St Clair Shores, MI
1999-2000	Detroit Festival of the Arts - in Detroit’s Cultural Center, Detroit, MI
1999	Prestige Art Show - Warren Tri-County Arts, Warren, MI

SELECTED PUBLISHED WORKS:

2005	The Fishfly - debut novel published by PublishAmerica, Inc
1999-06	Pointe of Art - Monthly Arts Column in the Pointer Magazine and distributed to over 8,000 listserve via the Detroit Arts NewsGroup (DANG) email.
1997	Power of Positive Painting - Instructional Video about painting a portrait
1996	Authentic Sports - Illustrations for upscale Tee-shirts
1994	New York Doctors Guide - Cover portrait of "Samantha"
1987	Lake St. Clair Symphony Orchestra - Color poster "Giselle"
1984	Grosse Pointe Theater - Five full color Program Covers
1982 -	Samples of published Illustrations upon request, including posters, Ads, storyboard, courtroom sketching, book illustration,

SELECTED MEDIA ABOUT RM AND THE MANISCALCO GALLERY:
1997-04 Subject of over 45 newspaper/magazine articles, radio and TV interviews. See Media Links for more complete links. Highlights include:

2005	Detroit News "Color Grosse Pointe painter successful: Maniscalco known for his portraits"
2000	Detroit Free Press Profile on "Face to Face," exhibition of portraits by Van Gogh@DIA
2002	Grosse Pointe News - Pointer of Interest
1998	Crains Detroit "Fame in a Frame" profile of top Detroit portrait artists
	Real Detroit Weekly - voted Detroit's "Most Artist Friendly" Gallery
1996	The Oakland Press "Capturing Life on a Canvas"
1995	WWNO Public Radio Spring Festival - interviewed about the state of the arts in N.O.
1995	Gambit - New Orleans Weekly "Best Bets" - featured artist
1994	New York Daily News "Picture this: Recent Portraits"
1991-94	New York Magazine "Sales and Bargains" - featured
1994	Manhattan Arts International "Artists in the '90s" profile
1994	New York Doctors Guide "Immortality, Can we Live Forever?" - feature
1993	Detroit Free Press "If it weren't for..." - feature
1982	Detroit News "Faces of China" - feature

SELECTED TEACHING POSITIONS:

2001-3	College for Creative Studies, Detroit, Adjunct Faculty-Illustration Dept, Fig. Drawing
1999 -	University of Detroit, Art Appreciation to Bachelor candidates
1998 -	Maniscalco Gallery, Detroit: various classes in drawing & painting
1995	Arden Cahill Academy, Gretna, LA K-8th art classes (6 week residency)
1995 -6	Dixie Art Supply - New Orleans, LA (portraits in oil)
1985-	Omni Arts in Education of Detroit, Michigan (inner city outreach)
1984-87	Grosse Pointe War Memorial, Michigan (portraits in oil & Acting)
1985 -	Grosse Pointe Theatre, Michigan (acting technique)
1983-84	Grosse Pointe South - GP Public Schools, Michigan (marching band director)
1984-86	Birmingham-Bloomfield Art Association (portraits in oil)
1982	Detroit Public Schools, Michigan (music)

SELECTED RELATED ARTS EXPERIENCE:

1997-05	Maniscalco Gallery, Curator and Executive Director (See mission, above)
2003-05	Art Beat, host of this arts magazine on PBS in Detroit, profiling over 36 visual artists and reaching up to 75,000 viewers every time it aired, twice a week, the highest viewership of a locally produced show in WTVS history.
2001-06	Inside Art - Host and producer over 60 Episodes, focussing on local arts & culture, for WMTV-5 Cable TV in Grosse Pointe/Harper Woods, MI
2005	The Fishfly - debut novel published by PublishAmerica, Inc
1997 - 2004	Wayne County Council for Arts, History & Humanities - During Presidency (2000-2003) established 501(c)3, increased annaul budget from $8,000 to $65,000, expanded programs, including Artists Among Us Exhibition, Fresh Art Project, Recognition Awards and Arts Mentoring projects. ARTnerships include collaborations with COTS, St Vincent DePaul, and the Waren Conner Development Coalition.
2001-02	Youth on Stage - Presenting ongoing acting/coaching to young actors, Grosse Pointe Theatre, Grosse Pointe, MI - Also, Acting classes for adults and children at the Grosse Pointe War Memorial.
1998-99	Great Lakes Sweet Adolines, conducted dynamic seminar-releasing organic singer within
1996	The Power of Positive Painting, created a comprehensive instructional video on portrait painting airing on NOETC, Acadian Public Access - Educational TV stations and sold as a video through American Artist Magazine.
1996	Musica da Camera, New Orleans - Sing with this award winning early music ensemble, recording on the Centour label.
1987-94	Actor and Director in over 40 award-winning New York stage and regional film, television and theatre productions. See separate "theatre" resume.
1991-93	New Renaissance Chamber Artists, New York City - Lead actor and Development Director for this contemporary music/theatre ensemble. Generated over $28,000 in grants (including NEA) and commissions for new works and performed at venues such as Weill Recital Hall and Baltimore’s First Night Festival. Also, through The Juilliard School Outreach Program - Created, presented and taught "new music" and story telling to grades K-6, 300 students per assembly.

EDUCATION:

1978-1983	Bachelor of Music in Orchestral Performance & Music Education (Certified K-12 in fine art and music) - Wayne State University, Detroit, MI
1989-1991	Circle in the Square Professional Acting Workshop - New York City (acting resume)

ARTS RELATED MEMBERSHIPS – NATIONAL & COMMUNITY: